The Sins of Youth
by Dedicatedfollower467
Summary: Dick and Damian have to go through the age-changing shenanigans of "Sins of Youth." But can Damian handle the pressure? Rated for mild language and an ambiguous ending.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Any of you who have been reading my fluffy-cuddles-adorable-brother stories are now warned; this story does not have a happy ending - it has an ambiguous ending.

The story references the "Sins of Youth" storyline, in which all the Justice League members became teens again, and all the Young Justice characters became adults. I really loved the story and was disappointed that we didn't get to see Dick affected by it. So here I get to play it the way I want to!

* * *

"No, Dick, this really, seriously, is not a good idea."

"Come on, Tim, we'll be fine. Plus, it'll be fun."

"That would be the twelve-year-old hormones talking, Dick."

Dick Grayson's newly-returned-to-adolescent body is _petite_. There's simply no other word to describe the 4'10" stature, tiny, toned arms, skinny little abs, and long, slim, but powerful legs. Legs that he apparently desperately wants to show off in his old Robin costume. His arms are crossed and he glares defiantly at his still-technically-younger brother. But it's pretty hard to get over the fact that he's wearing a gorgeously-tailored argyle sweater-vest, and _khaki corduroy shorts_.

Whatever Dick's many strengths may be, fashion sense isn't one of them.

Dick glares at Tim. "Who's Batman, huh?"

Tim sighs and makes a vague gesture. "Damian now, actually."

As his two still-technically-older brothers turn to catch his attention, Damian feels inescapably awkward. At 6'6", he towers over Tim and tiny little twelve-year-old Dick. His muscle tone didn't quite catch up with his newly-adult body; he just doesn't have the body-builder bulk his father has. He still has a slim, lightly toned body; it's just on a frame that's over a foot taller. It's funny; he's about four inches too tall for even his father's suit, but his muscular structure means that he doesn't fill any of them out quite right.

But he does get to use the large cape to his advantage, pulling it close around himself to hide his discomfort.

"Damian's totally up for being Batman and Robin together, arentcha?" Dick grins a cocky, self-assured grin that Damian has seen a couple of times before. Usually it means he's about to do something incredibly stupid.

But Damian wants to do this; wants to prove that he's good enough to be the heir to Batman.

"Correct." Hell, even his voice has changed. Deepened. He even sounds like his father, and though he won't admit it, that scares him a tiny little bit.

Dick is excited by the confirmation. "See! He's up for it! So what's the problem, Tim?"

Tim shakes his head and sighs. "Neither of you knows what you're doing," he says, "Yes, Dick, I know, you've been twelve before – but you had Bruce's level head to guide you through your hormones. Damian doesn't have the experience or knowledge to be out there on the streets with a body the size he has now."

Dick pouts. Literally pouts; sticks his bottom lip out, cants his hips, lowers his eyebrows over his eyes and gives a sulky glare at Tim. "You and Bruce did it when you two switched ages."

"That was different." Tim runs a hand through his hair. "Bruce and I were trying to find a way to rectify the situation, and we were the only ones who could do it. It was a pressing, urgent matter. Plus, we nearly died anyway."

"This is different," Dick says, totally confident. "You'd never been Batman before and he'd never been Robin before. But I've been Robin before; I know exactly what I'm doing. I may not look it right now, but I have more than fifteen years of experience as a seasoned crime-fighter. I can totally coach Damian through the ins and outs of being Batman."

Tim looks desperately down into Dick's face. "I'm asking you one more time, don't go on patrol tonight. Let Bruce and me handle it."

"Sorry. We're doing this." Dick looks around eagerly. "So where's my old Robin costume? We've still got it around here, don't we?"

Tim shakes his head and stands up. "If you're going out, you're wearing Damian's costume," he says, "We don't need the whole city asking why Robin suddenly decided to go back to the hotpants for one night."

Dick pouts, but agrees, and slips into Damian's costume. It's slightly too big for him, and he complains quite vocally about the hood and long cape getting in his way.

Damian feels his heart beat fast when Dick finally gets the costume on and comes to stand by his side.

It's time to show the world he's Batman.


	2. Chapter 2

It's one mistake.

One stupid, inexcusable, _fatal_ mistake.

Damian should have known better. He should have seen it coming. He should have known that he wasn't ready for this; wasn't ready to be Batman. Wasn't ready to have someone else's life in his hands. Especially not Dick's life.

The life that was bleeding out in his arms.

Damian held his older/littler brother, cradling him to his chest, as blood redder than the Robin suit spread slowly across the boy's chest. And Dick was a boy, now, was only a boy, and he was losing blood faster than Damian knew what to do with. Damian wasn't prepared to deal with major medical trauma in the field. He felt paralyzed, clutching his dying big brother to his chest and wishing this had never happened, that he and Dick hadn't chosen to come out tonight, playing dress-up.

Because Damian isn't _worthy_, not of wearing the costume, being Batman's heir, but that's not the important thing right now. He's not worthy to be Dick's brother – not if he can't even save him from a bullet ready to spill his life's blood in the street.

At this point, Damian can't even move; he's trying so hard not to pass out from the overwhelming fear at the realization that this is his eldest brother; this is the only person who ever believed in him, who ever stood up for him, who ever acknowledged that there was something more in Damian's damaged soul than a killer. This is Dick Grayson, who for all intents and purposes raised him into the man – the boy, he's just proved he's not a man yet – that he is today. And it's Damian's fault that he's dying. When he is alone and there is no one who trusts him, who believes in him anymore, Damian will have no one to blame but himself.

The hand that lands on his shoulder isn't a hostile, but it's too heavy to be Tim. Which means, Damian realizes with a jolt, that it's his father. And here Damian is, holding the blood-soaked body of his father's eldest son; his father's _true_ heir. Because he just proved that he is not now and never will be ready to take up the Batman's mantle; only Dick Grayson receives that honor.

His father's hands take Dick's limp figure from his arms, and then Tim is there, too, guiding Damian away. Damian just goes with the flow. He's lost and frightened and realizing for the first time just how awful it will be to live life without Dick.

At first he tries to keep track of where his father is taking Dick, but Tim is insistent.

"You're wounded," are the first words Damian registers out of Tim's mouth, but Damian doesn't care if he's wounded; Dick's hurts are far greater than his own. He wants to follow his father and Dick.

"You'd just be kicking yourself with the damage you caused," Tim says, somehow forcing him down onto a bench and ripping off the cape and cowl, taking off the armored chestpiece. "You'll have plenty of time to feel guilty later."

And as Tim cleans and stitches the meaningless wounds on his chest, Damian finally breaks down. The stress has been catches up to him all night, and the dam finally shatters. He doesn't even care that Tim steps back, startled, as Damian starts sobbing.

"I can't handle this," he sobs, "I can't, I can't. Change me back, please."

Tim's eyes are bugging out of his skull as he watches this display, and Damian can't say he blames him.

"I just want to be a boy again."

* * *

A/N: Yes, the ending is supposed to be ambiguous. What do YOU think happens?


End file.
